“Massacre is a death metal band I’ve always rooted for and got very little in return for my efforts. Though one of the creators of the entire genre, they were unable to get their long-delayed From Beyond debut out until 1991. By then they’d been scooped by a ton of acts and demoted from innovators to also-rans. Though their tardy debut was awesome, the band utterly failed to follow up on its potential.” The return of the return of the death progenitors.
“As an elderly gent who was already big into heavy metal long before genres like death and black arose and split off to maraud and pillage, I remember the early days of death fondly. Those seminal 80s albums by Death, Necrophagia, and Pestilence were simple, elemental and loads of unholy fun. When Massacre’s long-delayed From Beyond debut hit the streets in 1991, it was like a capstone on that original sound, which was already mutating and evolving into nastier, more abhorrent entities. I’m still very fond of those early platters, and was especially annoyed that Massacre never managed a decent follow up to their classic release. Fast-forward 30 years and Death / Massacre alumnus Terry Butler teamed up with some well-traveled younger guns to release what is essentially a continuation of Massacre with the name Inhuman Condition.” Vermin Supreme.
“Life coaches and creepy self-help gurus always seem to tell you to get a clear plan and follow it. As if all life’s complexities and intrinsic chaos could be bypassed by the mere existence of bullet points and feel good mission statements. Like many of my fellow metal fanciers, I prefer a life of chaos, uncertainty and random disaster. I feel safe saying Texas oddballs From Beyond are right there with me on that too. Their debut jettisons policy and protocol, instead hurling ideas against a studio wall to see what sticks and how deeply.” Of plans and punches.
“The classic 80s metal sound will never go away, because bands like Enforcer still live, breathe and eat that stuff. Their entire career has been spent chasing the closest approximation to early 80s speed metal as humanly possible and when they nail it, it stays pretty damn nailed.” It’s time for your required dose of old school metal, so open up and say…Enforcer!
“Massacre holds a special place in the annals of American death metal. They were one of earliest true death metal bands, and along with Death, they started the infamous Florida death metal scene. Hell, original vocalist Kam Lee is even credited with inventing the death metal growl! At one time or another, members of Obituary and Death passed through their ranks and though they released a series of highly influential demos like Aggressive Tyrant, their plans to release a debut album in 1988 were hamstrung when Terry Butler, Rick Rozz and Bill Andrews all jumped ship to record Death’s immortal Leprosy album instead.” The co-originators of American death metal are finally back from beyond with a new album. But should we seal the portal from whence they came?
Like a swift kick to the frank N’ beans, the new release by this death metal “super group” is shocking and very painful. I really loved Denial Fiend’s quirky 2007 debut They Rise. It merged nasty, old school American death metal and punk rock with a party atmosphere and although very tongue in cheek, it rocked and raged convincingly. To this day it remains in regular rotation at stately Steel Druhm manor. That debut featured some grizzled veterans of the old school scene like bassist Terry Butler (Death, Massacre, Six Feet Under, Obituary) and mega Cookie Monster Kam Lee (Death, Massacre) on vocals. What made They Rise work was the strong similarity to the classic Massacre sound (their From Beyond album is one of the all time best American death metal albums). The songs were savage and raw but also catchy and fun. Basically, it was a damn fine treat for death metal fans. When I heard a new Denial Fiend album was pending, I got giddy like a school girl. When I heard Kam Lee had taken his immense vocal talent elsewhere, I was sad but still hopeful. Well, hope is officially dead. Horror Holocaust features the “vocals” of Blaine Cook (The Accused) and he destroys everything as surely as cops destroy fun and work destroys free time. While there are some decent musical moments, he renders the bulk of the album unlistenable and there’s no denying that it sucks, bigtime.
Loyal readers of these Angry Metal Pages are doubtlessly aware of my affinity for old school Swedish death metal (SDM) akin to the likes of old Entombed, Grave and Dismember (disloyal readers are to be shunned and publicly shamed). Those same readers will also be aware of my love for the retro movement in the genre spearheaded by the likes of Bloodbath, Entrails and Interment. Because the old school SDM style has such a grim, crusty and powerful vibe, it doesn’t bother me in the least when retro bands utilize the sound without much innovation, as long as its done well. Kindly add Necrovorous to the growing list of bands doing it really fucking well with their debut Funeral for the Sane. Hailing from Greece, these gents take the classic early ’90s sound of SDM and scrape in influences from primitive American acts as well as some grindcore. The results are ugly, scabby and about as nasty as shit on scrambled eggs.
